Lynn Johnson, Author at Nature Needs More

(Re)Wilding – It’s Grand!

By Lynn Johnson|2025-01-07T16:46:57+11:00October 31st, 2021|Blog|

Not Dealing With Climate Change Is Dumb, Not Dealing With Biodiversity Loss Is Even Dumber. In watching the run up to CoP26, what has been very apparent is the pressure put on world leaders to attend. Together with the host, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the other world leaders confirmed as going include Prime Minister Mario Draghi (Italy), President Joe Biden (United States), First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Scotland), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Canada), President Emmanuel Macron (France), President Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana), President Alberto Fernandez (Argentina), Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (Israel), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey), Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (Sweden), President Guy Parmelin (Switzerland), President Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria), President Ivan Duque (Colombia), Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Australia). Notable [...]

What Every AFL Fan Needs To Know

By Lynn Johnson|2021-11-05T07:30:00+11:00October 24th, 2021|WGFW|

What Every AFL Fan Needs To Know There were very mixed feelings in Melbourne around this year's AFL Grand Final. The elation felt in the city, and in particular by Melbourne Demons fans, was tinged with sadness. As the Melbourne Demons broke their 57-year premiership drought, the longest premiership drought in Australian football, Melbourne couldn’t help but feel jubilation for the club and fans that have both been starved of success for so long. The sadness? Because the AFL Grand Final wasn’t played at its spiritual home, The Melbourne Cricket Club - the MCG – ‘The G’. For the second year running The G has lost the AFL Grand Final because of the global pandemic. The iconic stadium [...]

The Legal Wildlife Trade Mainstream Media D-Notice

By Lynn Johnson|2021-10-24T08:16:30+11:00October 21st, 2021|The Fly|

The Legal Wildlife Trade Mainstream Media D-Notice Lynn Johnson 21 October, 2021 Those who love a British political thriller, particularly one which includes tension between the government and the press, the term, “it’s had a D-Notice slapped on the story” will be familiar. For the individuals who don’t know what a D-Notice is, here is a little background provided by the BBC’s Secret Britain Series. The "Defence Advisory Notice System" - as it is now called - is supposed to be entirely voluntary. In reality, though, it's very rare for any of the mainstream media [MSM] organisations to ignore the committee's requests [not to publish a story]”. Why does the [...]

The Failure Of Investors

By Lynn Johnson|2022-11-14T06:55:54+11:00October 14th, 2021|The Fly|

Image peterschreiber.media The Failure Of Investors How can you call something an investment when it is driving biodiversity loss? Lynn Johnson 14 October 2021 We cannot overcome the biodiversity loss, associated with the legal trade in endangered species, unless we can change the minds and strategies of the individuals and groups who invest in these wildlife and timber markets. In the end, getting investors committed to tackling biodiversity loss, associated with legal trade, maybe a key action to dealing with the extinction crisis. Investors have started to exert influence in relation to climate change policies and carbon emissions targets in the companies in which they invest. They have been under increasing [...]

The Map Of Shame

By Lynn Johnson|2022-11-18T07:28:25+11:00October 8th, 2021|Blog|

A map went up on the CITES website recently; it shows which of the 183 CITES signatory parties have some form of electronic permitting already in place (14 signatories, colour amber) and how many parties are developing/planning an electronic CITES permit system (30 parties, colour green). Maybe the first thing to mention is, why would CITES invert the normal project management ‘traffic light colour’ convention, making amber ‘implemented’ and green ‘in progress’. Cynically, I would say that at a glance this makes the project’s progress look better than it truly is. The map shows there has been a small increase in the number of countries who have upgraded their permit system, compared to when we [...]

Quite Ridiculous: Why Endangered Species Miss Out On QR Code

By Lynn Johnson|2025-01-07T16:47:33+11:00September 20th, 2021|Blog|

Countries worldwide are easing their COVID lockdowns or outlining the road map to reopening social contact and the economy. All of this is possible because of the humble QR Code, which enables people to demonstrate their vaccine or COVID status. First introduced by Israel, Covid passports go by a variety of names, including COVID Certificate, health pass and green pass. Our smart phone carries our personal QR code, providing proof we are fully vaccinated against Covid, have recovered from the virus, or have recently tested negative. Within the EU for instance, some countries have developed national Covid passes compatible with the European digital Covid certificate, which is designed to facilitate travel throughout [...]

Out For The Count

By Lynn Johnson|2025-01-07T16:48:39+11:00September 6th, 2021|The Fly|

Out For The Count. The Annual, 24-Hour Wildlife Count. Lynn Johnson 6 September, 2021 Extreme weather events, from fires, to floods to storms are devastating what’s left of the world's nature reserves. Just one example is an Australian study which estimated 3 billion animals were killed, injured or displaced in the 2019/2020 summer bushfires. All this has happened at a time when governments worldwide pledge much for the environment, but in reality, do very little to aid its protection and rehabilitation. Those of us who care have lost trust in what our political representatives say. So, what can we do? Is it time more of us pushed for an [...]

If Rich People Wanted To Save The Planet

By Lynn Johnson|2025-01-07T16:48:47+11:00August 23rd, 2021|The Fly|

If Rich People Wanted To Save The Planet… They would be doing it now. Lynn Johnson 23 August, 2021 Instead of the ultra-rich doing their utmost to secure a viable future for all, we have what some have termed, for obvious reasons, dicks in space. The problem is that these billionaires are being held up as visionaries, but isn’t this vision simply feeble? Aren’t they saying, I don’t have the skill to fix the complex problems down here on earth, so I am just going to build my own rocket and run away? It comes across as immature and narrow-minded. This image isn’t enhanced when you consider the scale of tax avoidance [...]

The Art Of Distraction

By Lynn Johnson|2025-01-07T16:48:56+11:00August 17th, 2021|Blog|

As with the IPBES report published 2 years ago, the recent IPCC report is a stark reminder that we are heading into a much less livable world, not just for humans, but for most living species. With the release of both reports (and the many others that have the same conclusions) we need to be honest that the result is nothing has been actioned. The question is why? As governments, industries and businesses blame each other and wait for the other to do something, this ongoing blame game undermines the collective action needed. Those who should be shouldering the blame have perfected the art of distraction. Like the magician they misdirect the eye and give themselves another term [...]

Cabin Fever Lockdown

By Lynn Johnson|2021-08-08T08:56:39+10:00August 8th, 2021|WGFW|

Cabin Fever Lockdown As much of the world is experiencing rolling lockdowns, this is leaving more-and-more of us feeling a little lonely, bored, sluggish or anxious. Many people feel happier with some structure and routine. As governments know the importance of physical activity, one of the few reasons we are allowed to leave home, even in the stickiest of lockdowns, is to get some needed (and socially distanced) exercise. This helps people maintain both their physical and mental heath during these uncertain times. This pandemic is zoonotic in origin and has occurred because of too much human encroachment into the natural world. As animals are traded (legally and illegally) and their habitat is lost, their immune systems [...]

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